What Is the Special Use of Knowledge from the Word?
Key Concept: Only knowledges from the Word are of such a nature that they are opened from the Lord Himself (Arcana Coelestia 1461).
The external man is corporeal and sensuous; nor does it receive anything celestial and spiritual unless knowledges are implanted in it, as in ground; for in these celestial things may find their recipient vessels. But the knowledges must be from the Word. Knowledges from the Word are such that they are open from the Lord Himself; for the Word itself is from the Lord through heaven, and the Lord's life is in all things of the Word, both in general and in particular, although it does not so appear in the external form. Hence it may be seen that in His childhood the Lord did not will to imbue Himself with any other knowledges than those of the Word, which was open to Him, as before said, from Jehovah Himself...(Arcana Coelestia 1461).
No one can be introduced into the church and formed for heaven, except by means of knowledges from the Word. Without these man does not know the way to heaven, and without these the Lord cannot dwell with him. It can be seen that without the knowledges of truth and good from the Word no one can know anything of the Lord, of the angelic heaven, or of charity and faith; and what a man does not know he cannot think about, and thus cannot will, and accordingly cannot believe and love. It is evident, therefore, that by means of knowledges man learns the way to heaven. It can also be seen that without the knowledges of truth and good from the Word the Lord cannot be present with man and lead him, for when man knows nothing of the Lord, of heaven, of charity and faith, his spiritual mind, which is the higher mind, and is intended to see by the light of heaven, is empty, and has nothing from the Divine in it. But the Lord cannot be with man except in what is His own with man, that is, in the things that are from Him. For this reason it was said that unless a man is in the knowledges of truth and good from the Word and in the life thereof, the Lord cannot dwell with him. From these considerations taken together it follows, that the natural man can by no means become spiritual without the knowledges of truth and good from the Word (Apocalypse Explained 112:3)
A man becomes spiritual by means of the knowledges of truth and good from the Word applied to the uses of life. Why he becomes spiritual by means of knowledges from the Word, and not by means of other knowledges, shall now be told. All things that are in the Word are Divine, and they are Divine because they have in them a spiritual sense, and by that sense communicate with heaven and with the angels there. When, therefore, a man has knowledges from the Word and applies them to his life, he has communication through them with heaven, and by that communication he becomes spiritual; for a man becomes spiritual by his being in like or in corresponding truths with the angels of heaven. It is said in corresponding truths, because each and all things in the sense of the letter of the Word are correspondences, for they correspond to the truths that angels have. But the knowledges derived from other books, which teach, and by various means confirm the doctrines of the church, do not bring about communication with heaven unless those knowledges are from the Word. Such knowledges do give communication if they are properly understood and are applied to life, and not to faith alone. Every one can see that this is so from this consideration, that the Word in itself is Divine, and what is Divine in itself can become Divine with man if he applies it to life. By its becoming Divine in man is to be understood that the Lord can therein have His abode with him (John 14:23), thus can dwell with him in that which is His own…. And the Lord dwells in His own when in those things with man which are from the Word; for the Lord is the Word; and the words which He Himself spoke, that is, which are in the Word, are "spirit and life" (John 6:63,68; 12:50) (Apocalypse Explained 195:4).
The Word has been given in order to unite heaven and earth, or angels with men; and therefore it has been so written that it may be spiritually apprehended by the angels, when naturally apprehended by man; and that in this way what is holy may flow in through the angels, by which means union is effected. Such is the Word in both the historical and the prophetical parts; but the internal sense is less apparent in the historical than in the prophetical parts, because the historical parts have been written in a different style, yet still by means of significatives. [4] The historical parts have been given in order that infants and children may thereby be initiated into the reading of the Word; for the historical parts are delightful, and remain in their minds, whereby communication is given them with the heavens; and this communication is pleasant because they are in a state of innocence and mutual charity. This is the reason why there is an historical Word. There is a prophetical Word, because when it is read, it is not understood by man except obscurely, and when it is understood obscurely by such men as there are now, it is perceived clearly by the angels, as it has been given me to know from much experience… (Arcana Coelestia 6333:3-4).
Knowledges of spiritual things must be with man in his natural in order that there may be spiritual perception; and knowledges of spiritual things must be from revelation (Arcana Coelestia 9103:4).
What Is the Special Use of Knowledge from the Word?
Key Concept: Only knowledges from the Word are of such a nature that they are opened from the Lord Himself (Arcana Coelestia 1461).
The external man is corporeal and sensuous; nor does it receive anything celestial and spiritual unless knowledges are implanted in it, as in ground; for in these celestial things may find their recipient vessels. But the knowledges must be from the Word. Knowledges from the Word are such that they are open from the Lord Himself; for the Word itself is from the Lord through heaven, and the Lord's life is in all things of the Word, both in general and in particular, although it does not so appear in the external form. Hence it may be seen that in His childhood the Lord did not will to imbue Himself with any other knowledges than those of the Word, which was open to Him, as before said, from Jehovah Himself...(Arcana Coelestia 1461).
No one can be introduced into the church and formed for heaven, except by means of knowledges from the Word. Without these man does not know the way to heaven, and without these the Lord cannot dwell with him. It can be seen that without the knowledges of truth and good from the Word no one can know anything of the Lord, of the angelic heaven, or of charity and faith; and what a man does not know he cannot think about, and thus cannot will, and accordingly cannot believe and love. It is evident, therefore, that by means of knowledges man learns the way to heaven. It can also be seen that without the knowledges of truth and good from the Word the Lord cannot be present with man and lead him, for when man knows nothing of the Lord, of heaven, of charity and faith, his spiritual mind, which is the higher mind, and is intended to see by the light of heaven, is empty, and has nothing from the Divine in it. But the Lord cannot be with man except in what is His own with man, that is, in the things that are from Him. For this reason it was said that unless a man is in the knowledges of truth and good from the Word and in the life thereof, the Lord cannot dwell with him. From these considerations taken together it follows, that the natural man can by no means become spiritual without the knowledges of truth and good from the Word (Apocalypse Explained 112:3)
A man becomes spiritual by means of the knowledges of truth and good from the Word applied to the uses of life. Why he becomes spiritual by means of knowledges from the Word, and not by means of other knowledges, shall now be told. All things that are in the Word are Divine, and they are Divine because they have in them a spiritual sense, and by that sense communicate with heaven and with the angels there. When, therefore, a man has knowledges from the Word and applies them to his life, he has communication through them with heaven, and by that communication he becomes spiritual; for a man becomes spiritual by his being in like or in corresponding truths with the angels of heaven. It is said in corresponding truths, because each and all things in the sense of the letter of the Word are correspondences, for they correspond to the truths that angels have. But the knowledges derived from other books, which teach, and by various means confirm the doctrines of the church, do not bring about communication with heaven unless those knowledges are from the Word. Such knowledges do give communication if they are properly understood and are applied to life, and not to faith alone. Every one can see that this is so from this consideration, that the Word in itself is Divine, and what is Divine in itself can become Divine with man if he applies it to life. By its becoming Divine in man is to be understood that the Lord can therein have His abode with him (John 14:23), thus can dwell with him in that which is His own…. And the Lord dwells in His own when in those things with man which are from the Word; for the Lord is the Word; and the words which He Himself spoke, that is, which are in the Word, are "spirit and life" (John 6:63,68; 12:50) (Apocalypse Explained 195:4).
The Word has been given in order to unite heaven and earth, or angels with men; and therefore it has been so written that it may be spiritually apprehended by the angels, when naturally apprehended by man; and that in this way what is holy may flow in through the angels, by which means union is effected. Such is the Word in both the historical and the prophetical parts; but the internal sense is less apparent in the historical than in the prophetical parts, because the historical parts have been written in a different style, yet still by means of significatives. [4] The historical parts have been given in order that infants and children may thereby be initiated into the reading of the Word; for the historical parts are delightful, and remain in their minds, whereby communication is given them with the heavens; and this communication is pleasant because they are in a state of innocence and mutual charity. This is the reason why there is an historical Word. There is a prophetical Word, because when it is read, it is not understood by man except obscurely, and when it is understood obscurely by such men as there are now, it is perceived clearly by the angels, as it has been given me to know from much experience… (Arcana Coelestia 6333:3-4).
Knowledges of spiritual things must be with man in his natural in order that there may be spiritual perception; and knowledges of spiritual things must be from revelation (Arcana Coelestia 9103:4).
(BACK)